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Avoid these common seller mistakes.

Price your home to sell

A recent poll shows that 75 percent of homeowners think their agent’s listing price is too low! If you’re trying to cash in on the momentum that’s been building, and you think that a higher price is the answer, think again. It could ultimately slow down the deal! It’s better to price the home in line with comps and generate initial interest and attention. Then, if the market takes it higher in the form of multiple offers, great! But if you overprice it to begin with, you’re setting yourself up for disappointment, as you’ll likely get less than fair market value.

Think: Web appeal

Don’t make the mistake of glamming up your home before the open house. Rather, do it right before you post your listing online, as that’s where 90 percent of buyers start their search — on the Web! — and if they don’t like what they initially see, it’s onto the next house, no questions asked.

Choose the right agent

When it comes to selling your home — probably the most expensive thing you own — some sellers will hire a friend, a relative who does real estate part time or the agent who is asking for the lowest commission rate. Don’t be foolish. It’s really important that you go with someone who really cares about the transaction, knows how to attract qualified buyers, is a skilled negotiator and understands the complexities of contracts and paperwork. To find the best agent for you, look for experience, you are selling your most expensive asset, this is no time to find the cheapest agent rate, a lower rate does not give you a sale unless it gets sold, it will give you frustration, loss of valuable time and most likely a lower sale price.

Consider early offers

Once a property is marketed, it typically gets attention right away — in the first few weeks! Eager buyers, weary of looking at the same old listings, will likely pounce, and perhaps even make an offer right away if your house meets their criteria. Don’t be spooked by early bids, hold out for better offers or second guess yourself, wondering if you should have asked for more. So long as the early offer comes in near the asking price, your property was priced correctly. Entertain the offer — even if comes as a total shock/surprise — and take it seriously. More often than not, that first offer turns out to the best one.

Century 21 Canada Limited Partnership currently has franchise opportunities available in select markets across Canada. The intent of this communication is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be a solicitation to anyone under contract with another real estate brokerage organization. CENTURY 21® is a registered trademark owned by Century 21 Real Estate LLC, used under license.
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The trademarks MLS®, Multiple Listing Service® and the associated logos identify professional services rendered by REALTOR® members of CREA to effect the purchase, sale and lease of real estate as part of a cooperative selling system. The trademarks REALTOR®, REALTORS® and the REALTOR® logo are controlled by The Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA) and identify real estate professionals who are members of CREA.